PSG manager Christophe Galtier is facing a possible jail sentence for alleged racial discrimination and islamaphobia.
The former Nice manager was arrested on Friday by French Police and taken into custody following report he discriminated against black and Muslim players in his squad while he was at Nice.
Galtier managed Nice for a year before making the big move to PSG. Report from French media outlets says Christophe Galtier and his adopted son Valovic-Galtier discriminated against black and Muslim players who were playing for Nice while he was incharge of the club.
RMC Sports confirmed Christophe Galtier and Valovic-Galtier were whisked away by French Police by exactly 08:46am on Friday and immediately thrown into the police custody after the report of the racial and religious discrimination emerged.
The arrest of the pair became necessary as the Police continued on their investigation to get down to the details of the allegations.
Details of the allegations as reported by L’Equipe reveals the allegations were made by a former Nice sports director, Julien Fournier, who worked with Christophe Galtier at Nice before the latter moved to PSG.
Fournier alleged Galtier and his advisor son, Valovic-Galtier, made ‘racial and Islamaphobic remarks’ while they were at Nice. While Galtier has reportedly denied the allegations.
An explosive email leaked in April reveals Galtier complaining of “having too many black and Muslim players in his squad” at Nice.
In another report by Nice-Martin, Galtier reportedly asked his Muslim players not to observe Ramadan fast with some players accepting his call while others rejecting it.
The allegation was taken up by the French Police when Julien Fournier reportedly forwarded it to Sir Dave Brailsford, who is said to be a director of sport at INEOS, the company that owns Nice,
Further details reveals Christophe Galtier was advised by his adopted son Valovic-Galtier to shuffle the composition of Nice squad to align it with the preference of Nice fans in the City who want less number of black and Muslim players in the team.
The report adds Galtier himself told Fournier that he has once visited a restaurant in which everyone complained that Nice is “a team of blacks.” The PSG boss is also said to have tried to reduce the number of Muslim players in the squad and have always used the Ramadan period to complain of the difficulties of handling Muslim players.
Galtier to face trial, denies allegations
French law allows detainees to only be held in custody for not more than 24 hours. Galtier is set to be prosecuted by the French Police and will face trial soon.
He has continuously denied the allegations. Following his recent arrest, Galtier have issued a statement through his lawyer, Martin Olivier, saying the PSG boss ‘contests with the greatest firmness’ the claims, while he ‘learned with amazement of the insulting and defamatory remarks’ alleged in Fournier’s report
According to reports, Galtier, who is set to leave PSG and be replaced by Luis Enrique, will likely face a three-year jail sentence if found guilty.
